<FontFamily><param>Times New Roman</param>This query is unrelated (almost) to physiotherapy practice, but I`m sure
someone out there will have the answer.
How do people walk on red-hot coals and not get injured?
Thinking about this, I`m sure that higher centre control allows the
individual to undertake the activity, ie. they psyche themselves up to do
it and then don`t hang around but walk quite quickly, but i don`t think
that this explains the lack of injury, other than minor burns where coals
get stuck between toes.
I`m sure that it must be to do with the thermal conductivity of the skin
on the feet, particularly the outer epidermis which lacks a blood supply,
and conducts heat more poorly than the deeper dermis. The only values on
the thermal conductivity of skin give a range (0.33-0.96 W/m/c)
This poor conductivity and the small period of time that the feet are in
contact with the coals allows the activity to be carried out without
tissue damage.
Is this a correct assumption?
Can anyone else provide any further explanations for this apparent
extraordinary feat?
Regards
Grahame Pope<color><param>0100,0100,0100</param><FontFamily><param>Arial</param>
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Grahame D Pope, MPhil, MCSP, Dip TP, Cert Ed.
Lecturer
Division of Physiotherapy Education
Clinical Sciences Building
University of Nottingham
City Hospital
Nottingham
NG5 1PB
0115 840 4879 Fax 0115 840 4893
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